Something I’ve really been getting into in the last year or so. Really great exercise and a ton of fun if you’re willing to be a child with it. Extreme jump roping is becoming the new parkour in the UK it seems, and it’s been catching on in my area (partial thanks to me :p).

I don’t know why, but I thought this was going to be about Double Dutch. I don’t know how girls be doin’ that shit. That’s just… straight wizardry, with all the cartwheels and shit.

…witchcraft I say.

Still though never got into jump roping. Seems like way too much work to get coordinated enough to be competent. What’s it supposed to help with that I can’t get with some other exercise? For fighters it makes perfect sense, but for a regular guy… I don’t see the point.

I used to jump rope for warming up before lifting weights using a heavy Thai jump rope. I call that rope “Vampire Killer” because once in a blue moon the rope would strike my foot or thigh and hurt quite a bit.

I don’t know why, but I thought this was going to be about Double Dutch. I don’t know how girls be doin’ that shit. That’s just… straight wizardry, with all the cartwheels and shit.

…witchcraft I say.

Still though never got into jump roping. Seems like way too much work to get coordinated enough to be competent. What’s it supposed to help with that I can’t get with some other exercise? For fighters it makes perfect sense, but for a regular guy… I don’t see the point.

Jump roping is great cardiovascular, mild calisthenics, improves hand-eye coordination and can be as challenging and just plain fun as you let it. Obviously, there’s a million and one ways to get yourself into shape, but this is just one of the methods I prefer and I’m providing reasons (I supplement jump roping with lots of other things, also - weight lifting, jogging, calisthenics, basketball et al.). But being a “regular guy” if you have any goals at all in regards to being/getting into good shape, athletes should be prime role models for you, not part of some exclusive, off-limits result.

Basic jump roping skills - read: boxer level - are not as hard to achieve as people think. It’s just that, people get frustrated with jump roping very easily, because subconsciously, they know its easy, and it’s often associated with children/athletes so their egos become bruised, quickly, once they realize they actually need time and dedication to develop basic jump roping skills - just like anything else worth learning.

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I think I can testify for jump roping’s effectiveness. I’m in decent shape:

[media=youtube]J_0jclGx2Cw[/media]

Disclaimer:
You won’t see anything as crazy as those earlier videos as my focus is different (more focused on keeping my heart rate up). Secondly, I’m just starting out for the day, after putting the rope down for awhile, so I’m messing up a lot, trying to find a rhythm again for certain movements.

I do want to eventually learn some of the crazier tricks, though (currently working on rope releases). Once I get all the stuff down that interests me, I’ll probably start working on a very specific cardio routine.

It was just endurance speed roping. I’ve never been super agile so needing to keep a rapid pace for a long time was always my focus. I’ve wanted to try weighed ropes for a while but never saw the point.

It was just endurance speed roping. I’ve never been super agile so needing to keep a rapid pace for a long time was always my focus. I’ve wanted to try weighed ropes for a while but never saw the point.

Did you quantify your swings at all? I’ve been interested in talking to boxers in particular, because I want to know the what/why regarding their skipping focus. It will help when I decide to put together a specific routine.

If you’re just stepping on it - tripping up on it - more, you just need to adjust your footwork. You need to move them faster (jump, skip, whatever). It’s more challenging but trust me, the shorter the rope, the better. You can swing the rope faster, increasing your heart rate and you have more control over the rope in general, allowing you to do more with it.

Can I get a jump rope recommendation? I’m 5’10"

If you have a Target nearby, they sell a cheap adjustable rope for about 5 dollars. It’s all you need, really.